More Than Friendship?
by R. K. Thompson
Summary: In a missing scene from OOTP, how would Hermione react if Neville told her about Harry's reaction to the attack that nearly killed her? How might it affect her friendship with Harry?


Author's Note: I see this story as a series of missing scenes from OOTP. Most of it is from Hermione and Neville's perspectives, two viewpoints we don't normally get in the books. I hope you enjoy it. And yes, I'm still working on my longer story, _Harry Potter and the Curse of Atlantis,_ I just needed a little break from working on it.

More than Friendship?

The five of them continued to chat about this and that after Harry had left to visit Hagrid. Then, inevitably, Hermione brought up the subject of how to discuss the death of Sirius with Harry.

"I can tell it's eating him up inside. We need to help him get it off his chest and realize that it wasn't his fault," she reasoned.

"For the fiftieth time, Hermione, if Harry wants to talk about it, he'll say something to one of us about it. I still fail to see the point of trying to force him to talk about it before he's ready," retorted Ron.

"We're not trying to force him to talk about anything. If you would listen for once to what I actually say, instead of trying to put words in my mouth...Don't the rest of you think we ought to try and talk to Harry about it?"

"I think Harry's got enough to worry about without the two of you constantly bickering all the time. It's no wonder the two of you drive him mad some days." Three heads swiveled in surprise at Neville, Luna was still reading the Quibbler.

"Neville, we only want to help Harry…" insisted Hermione.

"I know, I know. But look at it this way. You say that Harry was really close to this guy who died at the Ministry, right? And it seems like those closest to Harry are always in danger or getting hurt or getting killed, right? Well, how much more of this can he take before he starts trying to push people away from him to try and protect them?"

There was a long silent pause as Hermione and the two Weasleys stared at Neville.

"Well, I could be wrong, I don't know. It's just something I've been thinking about and…"

"No, I think you could be right, Neville. It would be just like Harry to try and isolate himself to save his friends, but it wouldn't work. Voldemort and the Death Eaters already know who his friends are. Anybody who reads the _Daily Prophet_ would know."

Everyone shivered when she mentioned his name, but Neville replied. "Well _we_ know that it wouldn't work, but that doesn't mean that Harry wouldn't try it."

"Yeah, remember last Christmas when he hid in Buckbeak's room until Hermione came?" observed Ginny.

"All right, but what does that have to do with Hermione and I arguing about stuff?" asked Ron.

"It makes it much easier for him to push the two of you away. And if he does try and stay close to both of you and keep you two from fighting, it puts a lot more stress on him than he needs right now," explained Neville patiently, cutting in before Hermione could open her mouth. He thought Ron would take it better coming from him than from her.

Ron just nodded and popped another Chocolate Frog in his mouth. Then he stretched and yawned.

Luna reached over and patted him. "Why don't you get some rest then? You look tired." Then she stood up and looked at Ginny. "Would you like to go grab some dinner?" When Ginny nodded yes, she looked back at Ron and asked, "Would you like me to bring you anything?"

Ron mumbled an almost incoherent no and rolled over on his side. Luna patted him again on the shoulder and said, "We'll be back to visit later. Have a good nap."

Ginny and Hermione were doing their best to keep from giggling, while Neville purposely avoided looking at either one of the girls. Ginny reached over and poked him in the shoulder and invited him to dinner as well. The three stood up and waved goodbye and then left the room. Hermione laid back in her bed and thought about what Neville had said while Ron slowly started to snore. She heard a faint scraping sound and looked over to notice Neville walking back down the aisle towards her and Ron.

"Hi Neville. Did you forget something?"

Neville put a finger on his lips, indicating for her to be quiet as he carefully pulled a chair up to the side of her bed away from Ron. She watched in confusion, but said nothing. He sat quietly and looked at Ron closely, as if trying to determine if he was really asleep. Seemingly satisfied, he leaned over to Hermione and began whispering softly.

"There's something I need to talk to you about Hermione."

"All right. But why didn't you just mention it earlier?" she asked.

"Just trust me," he pleaded.

"I do Neville. What is it you wanted to tell me? Is there something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Uhh, Oh I don't even know where to start." He sat for a moment gathering his thoughts while Hermione waited patiently. "Remember what we were talking about earlier, about how Harry might try pushing away people close to him?"

"Of course. Go on."

"Well, I think Harry might try very hard to push you away as far as he can."

"What!"

"Shhh!" hissed Neville as Ron shifted and mumbled something in his sleep.

"Sorry," she whispered back. "What do you mean? Why?"

Neville stared at her hard for a long minute before responding. "I think Harry fancies you Hermione."

"WHAT!"

Ron rolled over and stopped snoring as Hermione and Neville held their breath anxiously. They finally exhaled when Ron started snoring again.

"What do you mean you think Harry fancies me? Don't be ridiculous Neville. Or are you trying to be funny—because it's not very funny." She glared at Neville but he simply returned her gaze without flinching.

"I'm not joking, Hermione."

"That's impossible Neville. _Impossible. _Harry would never, could never…"

"Just be still for a minute and let me explain Hermione," interjected Neville. He took a deep breath and continued. "Back at the Department of Mysteries, after that Death Eater hit you with that slashing spell that hit your chest, Harry nearly lost it."

"Well of course he did. I'm one of his friends. He would have reacted the same way if it had been Ron or Ginny or any one of us. That doesn't mean any-…"

"Would you let me finish please?" When Hermione stopped talking, Neville continued. "No, I mean he nearly lost it completely. You were unconscious after that, but I was with Harry the rest of the time and I saw how he reacted to everyone else that got hurt. I've replayed everything that happened there in my mind a hundred times. Hermione, believe me when I tell you that nothing else affected him as badly as when he saw you hit with that spell. He didn't know if you were alive or not."

"But didn't he go charging off by himself after Lestrange when he saw her kill Sirius? How can that not be reacting worse than whatever he did when I got hurt?"

"That's just it Hermione. When he saw that happen, as soon as she tried to escape he went after her. There was no hesitation, no doubt in what he was going to do. As soon as he broke loose of Lupin's grip he went after her. But when you got hit, instead of attacking the Death Eater, he turned his back on him and went to your side. The only reason the Death Eater didn't hit him with a spell right then was for fear of destroying the Prophecy."

"So Harry made a mistake. So he missed an opportunity to hex that guy after he cursed me. That doesn't mean anything."

"Hermione, when you got hurt, that was the only time Harry couldn't seem to act. He didn't know what to do. When Luna got stunned, he dodged one of the Death Eaters and led the others away from her and you. When Ron summoned the brains, Harry immediately cast a Severing charm, trying to keep the tentacles from wrapping around him. Harry didn't miss a beat when Ginny got stunned. He kept throwing hexes and then led the Death Eaters away again. The only time during the entire battle that he seemed at a loss, that he didn't seem to know what he should do was right after you got hit with that spell."

Hermione opened her mouth as if to protest, but no sound came out as Neville continued.

"It was like his brain just shut down and he couldn't think. I don't think he even breathed until I checked for a pulse and told him that I thought you were alive. Then his first thought was to have me carry you away from the battle. It wasn't to go after the others. His first thought was to get you out of harm's way even if that meant he would have to face the Death Eaters all by himself."

Hermione muttered a small "oh," of disbelief. "Neville, you're making a mighty leap of logic with very little evidence," she whispered in a half-convinced tone.

"Remember when the Death Eaters threatened to torture Ginny? Remember how we all moved to stand in front of her, to protect her and shield her?" At Hermione's nod, he continued. "How is that when he ran off he managed to grab you and pull you away from danger instead of Ginny?"

"Coincidence," whispered Hermione in a small voice. "Besides, if he does fancy me, why hasn't he said something?"

"Oh don't be stupid Hermione. You should be able to figure that out." Ignoring Hermione's angry look he went on. "How long did it take him to work up the courage to talk to Cho? For being one of the bravest people I know, he has an awfully hard time with girls. Except with you. Name another girl that he spends more time with. Name another girl that knows him half as well as you do. Name another girl that he can communicate with better without even saying a word. Name another girl besides maybe Ginny that can actually stand up to him when he gets in one of his moods and make him see the light of reason. Name another girl that has helped him through more of his dangerous adventures than you. I have a feeling that not even Ron has gone through as much as you and Harry have together.

But even with all that do you think it would be easy for him to tell his best friend that he has feelings for her? You know Harry better than I do. Don't you think he would be terrified of losing his best friend, of messing up his friendship with you and Ron?" Neville paused and glanced over at Ron, "Especially since it is so obvious that Ron has a crush on you?"

Hermione's cheeks turned pink as she blushed furiously, but she remained speechless.

"Of course, that's assuming Harry even realizes that he really fancies you. Because I don't think he's even aware of it yet."

"Then how can you say…"

"Because Harry is wound tighter than a clock spring. He has so much to deal with. And I'm not sure he would recognize love very easily anyways—he saw precious little of it in his own life before Hogwarts. He never talks about it much, but we've put some of the pieces together, especially after listening to some of his nightmares in the middle of the night. His relatives—it's unbelievable the things they've done to him. So I don't think Harry fully realizes how much you mean to him."

"This can't be right. During the Tri-Wizard Tournament, it was Ron who was most important to Harry, not me," protested Hermione.

Neville chuckled softly. "Hermione, he was barely fifteen. The other two boys, both of them seventeen, picked girls. The girl picked her little sister. Harry lived most of his life without any family that cared for him or with any friends. Is it really so surprising that he would pick his first best friend, his male friend? And remember how mad they were at each other before the First Task. They really missed each other, even if they'll never admit it. And Ron's lucky they made up or he probably wouldn't have gotten picked at all. They probably would have put Harry's Firebolt in the bottom of the lake."

Hermione chuckled at that and then took a deep breath. "Fine, suppose you're right," she conceded as her cheeks blushed brightly. "Why are you telling me all this. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know Hermione. You'll have to decide that for yourself. I guess it depends on how strong your feelings are for Harry."

"What? What?" spluttered Hermione while Neville rolled his eyes.

"You know, for being the smartest witch in Hogwarts, you are just about as blind as Harry to some of the things right in front of your face."

"And how did you get so knowledgeable about these things Neville?"

"Because everyone sort of dismisses me or ignores me, I hear a lot of things. And I have a lot of time to observe people and think about things."

"Oh," replied Hermione in a mollified tone while looking at Neville in a completely new light.

"Look Hermione, I could be wrong. About a third of the school thinks your constant arguments with Ron indicate some sort of secret attraction the two of you have for each other."

Hermione looked at him in utter shock.

"Yeah, that's what I think. I'm with the other two thirds that think you and Harry make a much better couple, even if it might take you seven years to realize that."

Hermione's mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out.

"Look, the reason I decided to tell you all this is to give you some idea as to why Harry might be acting the way he does in the near future. I could be completely wrong—he may not try to push us or you away. I hope not. But I'm sure I'm right about his feelings for you. And I think you like him too. But the two of you are in such a tough situation, especially Harry. I thought it might help if at least one of you had some idea of what the other thought and felt. I hope this has helped."

"Well, you've certainly given me a lot to think about, Neville. I'll have to keep all this in mind."

"Hermione, don't think about it too hard. Don't overanalyze it. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart."

Hermione looked at him in surprise yet again.

"I didn't come up with that line. I read it in one of Lavender's _Witch Weekly_ magazines. Well, I better head to dinner, Ginny will be wondering what's been keeping me. Goodbye Hermione, and good luck." He stood up and stretched and started walking away.

"Thanks again, Neville," whispered Hermione as he left. He nodded in acknowledgement and kept walking.

Hermione leaned back into the bed and spent the next several hours analyzing and dissecting everything that Neville had said. He couldn't be right, could he? Harry didn't want more than friendship, did he? She didn't want more than friendship, did she? An hour ago, she could have easily answered no to both of those questions, but she was no longer so sure of herself.

She looked up in surprise as Hermione pulled away from her and walked over to a strange looking group without saying a word. Then she saw the skinny young man with messy black hair and glasses that she recognized as Hermione's friend Harry. She smiled in amusement as she watched her daughter elbow aside a gruff looking man in a long traveling cloak and a bowler hat. She listened with interest as they addressed who she assumed were Harry's aunt and uncle. She smiled again as her daughter, as usual, got in the last word. Then she noticed with great interest as Hermione's arms twitched as if she wanted to give the sad and somber appearing young man a hug, but decided at the last minute against it. As Harry left, he turned and waved before leading his uncle, aunt, and cousin out of the station. Hermione waved back, and then just stood watching as everyone else returned to what they had been doing. Quietly she moved forward and tapped her daughter on the shoulder.

"Hermione? Are you ready to go sweetheart?"

"Huh? Yeah, yes of course mum." Mrs. Granger hid another grin as Hermione shook her head as if she were trying to clear her head. Mr. Granger brought her trunk, grunting at its weight, even though it was on wheels.

"I didn't know they let you bring home the whole library, sweetie," joked her dad.

"Dad," retorted Hermione, rolling her eyes. "I picked up a few books at Hogsmeade during the year. Besides, I have lots of homework this summer. Do you need any help?"

"No thanks dear, I can get it."

Hermione picked up Crookshank's basket and carried it out with her, pausing a moment at the exit before following her mother outside to their car. As her dad opened the boot, Hermione tugged on the heavy trunk and winced as she felt a stab of pain in her side. She gave a soft "oh," and put a hand to her side and bent over.

Concern crossed the faces of both her parents. "What's wrong honey?" asked her dad.

Her mother reached over and helped her to the car door. "Let your dad put your things in the boot. Why don't you just sit down and rest for a bit? Tell me about your school year."

Listening to Hermione's account as Mr. Granger started the car and drove off, Mrs. Granger decided it was either the most boring school year she had ever had, or Hermione was leaving out lots of details.

"So how is your friend Ron doing?"

"Oh, he's fine."

"And Harry?"

"Harry? Uh, he's fine too."

"Really? What was all that about at the station with those other people?"

"Oh, well, Harry has had sort of a rough year, and his relatives aren't very…uhh…supportive. So we wanted to make sure that they treated him better this summer. But hopefully he won't have to stay with them for very long."

"Yes, you seemed very concerned about him," commented Mrs. Granger.

"Huh? What? Oh, yes of course. He's one of my best friends after all. So how has your year been?"

Mrs. Granger realized Hermione was trying to change the topic but was content to let her do so. For the rest of the ride home, Mr. and Mrs. Granger filled in Hermione on what they had been doing since Christmas. But she could tell that even though Hermione feigned interest, she wasn't really paying close attention. Her mind was obviously on something, or someone, else. She had a sneaking suspicion who it might be.

They finally arrived at the Granger's home and Mr. Granger unloaded the car while Hermione and her mom went in to prepare lunch. Mrs. Granger gave Crookshanks a friendly pat as he wandered out of the kitchen to explore the house. As her mother cut up the sandwiches, Hermione sat at the table and pulled out the bus and train schedules she had picked up at the station and began examining them.

"Tired of visiting with your parents already?" joked her mother.

"Huh, oh no. NO! I was just, uhh…" She tried to think of a logical excuse she could use and suddenly all the secrets and half-truths she had been living with around her parents seemed like an impossible burden to carry any longer. Hermione stopped and looked around the kitchen as if to make sure that it was just her and her mum and took a deep breath. "Well, look. There's a few things about Harry that I haven't told you or dad." At her mom's curious, concerned glance, she hastily added, "It's not Harry—he's great, he's wonderful! Er—it's just that a lot of bad things happen to him."

"Bad things? Like what?" Mrs. Granger grew more concerned as she watched her daughter's face shift through a variety of emotions. Both looked up quickly as Mr. Granger walked into the kitchen.

"Sandwiches, great! I'm starving!" Then he looked at his wife and daughter and asked, "Uhh, did I miss something?"

"Maybe you better sit down for this dad." Hermione took a deep breath and began. "Remember when I told you how excited I was to meet Harry Potter on the train to Hogwarts? Do you remember when I told you he was famous? Do you remember why he was so famous in the wizarding world?"

"Didn't his parents kill a famous wizard or something?" replied his father.

"Err, not exactly. You see, the reason Harry has to live with those nasty people you saw at the train station is because his family was attacked by a very powerful wizard, a very evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. His parents died in the attack. Only Harry survived. So he had to go live with the Dursleys." She shuddered at the thought.

"All right, but I'm afraid I don't understand what this has to do with you and Harry at school," said her father.

"Ahh. Well you see, everyone thought Lord Voldemort died when he attacked Harry and his family. Well, almost everyone did. But he didn't. And in our first year at school, Voldemort had a plan to…"

Three hours later, Hermione was finishing providing most of the details of their rescue mission to the Department of Mysteries. Her mother looked at her side with fear in her eyes while her father slammed the tabletop in anger.

"I've heard enough. I won't prevent you from learning any more magic, I know how much it means to you, but you are not going back to that school! You can go to one of those other schools, didn't you say there was one in France? But I will not send my only daughter back to Hogwarts. I…"

"George…" started Mrs. Granger.

"Dad…"

"No, I've made up my mind. It's much too dangerous for you to go back…"

"No, you listen. I'm sorry Dad, but you can't protect me from this. And I'm sorry for not telling both of you the whole truth about all of this earlier. But I was afraid you would react like this."

"Well of course we would…"

"Let me finish Dad." There was a sharpness and a seriousness in her tone that made both of her parents pause and look at her.

"I'm already in the middle of all of this. I can't leave now, I can't leave him alone now. Not now when he needs me more now than ever…"

"Who?" asked her father but her mother put a hand on his arm while Hermione continued.

"Even if I wasn't in the middle of it, it would only be a matter of time. Voldemort and his Death Eaters want to kill everyone like me, people who aren't from so-called pureblood wizarding families. So even if I did run away and hide, it would only be a matter of time before they found me and tried to kill me too."

Her mother clapped a hand over her mouth in horror.

"Don't talk like that Hermione. We can make you safe. We'll…"

Hermione's voice got slightly louder. "Have you been listening to what I'm saying? When they come for you, they use a spell that you can't counter. There is no defense against it—not even a magical one. It's called the Killing curse. Harry is the only one who has ever survived it and nobody knows why. But Harry and other wizards and witches we know are fighting against these people. They—we are trying to defeat them before they gain power again. We're in the middle of a war, a war for our very survival."

"You're too young for this, I won't allow you to…"

"Harry has been fighting since he was eleven years old and I've been helping him every step of the way. I will not run away from this fight. I WILL NOT!" The cups and platters on the dinner table shattered as the Grangers looked on in shock. Hermione didn't seem to notice as she continued. "I will not leave my friends to face these dangers alone. AND…I…WILL…NEVER…ABANDON…HARRY! NEVER!" Hermione jumped up from the table and slammed the door open so hard it nearly fell off its hinges. Her parents could hear her stomping up the stairs and then the slam of her bedroom door that seemed to shake the walls of the home.

"Hermione? Can I come in and talk to you?"

There was silence for a few moments, then soft footsteps could be heard and the doorknob twisted and the door opened a crack. Mrs. Granger pushed the door open and stepped inside her daughter's bedroom. Her sharp eye noticed that all of Hermione's things remained packed and there were owl treat crumbs on the corner of her desk. The window was closed, but she guessed that one of her friend's owls had already come and gone, perhaps with messages for them as well. She had no clue what she might have said but after the blazing row in the kitchen earlier that afternoon, she could only begin to imagine.

"So, are you planning on going back already sweetie?"

Hermione seemed stunned at her mother's insight. "Only if you and dad try to prevent me from going back in the fall. Once I turn seventeen, I am legally of age and can make my own decisions in the magical world. Running away and hiding will not make things any better for me mum. I can't do that. I won't abandon my friends. I…"

"I know sweetie. I understand. You've never been one to back down from a fight. That's one of the things I've always admired about you. But I think your dad will need some more time to come to grips with everything you've told us today. But I think he'll come around. Just give him some time sweetie."

Hermione stepped closer to her mum and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug as her shoulders began to shake. "Mum, I'm sorry I kept all this stuff from you guys. But I just couldn't bear the thought of being separated from that world. I just couldn't stand the thought of…"

"not seeing Harry again?" teased her mother lightly.

"What? Why does everyone keep saying that? Just because we're best friends everyone thinks that we're destined to be together or something. Honestly!"

Her mother chuckled. "So those train and bus schedules are to help you get to see Ron and his family?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "Well, no. But I thought visiting Harry might make it easier for him this summer after all he's been through, especially since he has to go back to the Dursley's."

"I see. Well perhaps I could make it a little easier for you to visit. I could drive you to visit Harry if you like," offered her mother.

"YOU WOULD!" screamed Hermione, squeezing her mother tightly in another hug. "I mean, thanks, mum. That would be great."

"I'm glad I could help. We'll pick a day next week if you want. Now why don't you get unpacked."

"Thanks again, mum," said Hermione, giving her another hug. "And I'm sorry I screamed at the two of you earlier."

"That's all right, sweetie. I understand," as she stepped through the door. As she closed it, she added, "You know, your father and I were best friends at school for several years before we got married." Then she left Hermione to sit in her room with her own thoughts. Hermione stared at the door with wide eyes, deep in thought.

Shaking herself out of her stupor, she began unpacking her things and then paused as she stared at the framed wizard photo of herself, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Ron and Ginny were pointing and laughing at something the twins were doing out of the picture. Harry and Hermione were sitting next to each other under a tree. Harry was chuckling while Hermione simply rolled her eyes at the twins until Harry whispered something and then she burst out laughing. She and Harry looked very happy in that photo. Hermione glanced at it and then looked over at her desk where there was a framed photo of her parents smiling happily. Taking her wizard photo with her, Hermione went and sat on her bed, watching herself and her friends and thinking again about everything her mother and Neville had said.

Leaning back, she thought about everything she and Harry had gone through during their years at Hogwarts. They couldn't be right, could they? Did Harry want something more than friendship? Would he? Did she? And what about Ron? She wasn't sure if she was ready for the answers to any of these questions yet.

The more she thought about it, the more certain she became that even if it was possible, Harry had too many other things to deal with right now. She knew he was still suffering from the loss of Sirius and she strongly suspected there was something else he was keeping from her and Ron.

Ron's reaction was predictable, but she didn't have the mental energy to waste on figuring out how to deal with those possible problems.

Most importantly, what did she want? What did she feel? Did she want something more than friendship from Harry? She knew that she would never leave him, never abandon him, that she always wanted to be by his side, helping him. But did she want more? She suspected she did, but did not feel ready yet to confront those feelings or try to work them out. The more she thought about it and looked at that picture of her and Harry sitting happily, enjoying the moment, the more she realized that she was more than a little nervous, even fearful of what the true answer might be.

Then she remembered the corny advice Neville had given her from _Witch Weekly._ "Don't overanalyze it. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart." She chuckled lightly and stood, her decision made. She would surprise Harry next week with a visit to his house and just try to be a good friend. She decided to let whatever was to happen to them develop on its own—she wouldn't try and rush it or overanalyze it. They had enough other things to worry about right now. She would simply try to enjoy her time with Harry and make sure that he did the same.

Proud of her decision and her exercise of self control, she walked out of her room to look for her dad to try and smooth things over with him. She heard a ringing from downstairs and then her mother's voice called up to her. "Hermione, you have a phone call. It's Harry."

"Harry!" screeched Hermione as she flew down the stairs. She stopped short when she saw her mother's amused expression and struggled to regain control, silently cursing herself for her outburst. This might be harder than she thought she reluctantly admitted to herself.

"Uhh, hello?"

"Uhh, hi. Hi, Hermione. How are things going? Did you get home OK?"

"Everything's fine Harry. I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"Fine. I'm fine. Look, I know this sounds a little odd, but I was just a…a bit worried. I know I just saw you at the train station this morning, but I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine Harry, thanks for calling. So are things any better with the Dursley's? I know it's probably too soon to tell, but…"

Hermione heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. "Well, for one, I can use the phone now. Vernon was muttering under his breath the entire drive home. But as soon as we got home, Petunia informed me that I would have several new privileges this summer, and fewer chores. They seem to be scared to death that I'm going to say something nasty about them in one of my letters. Your little chat with them seems to have done the trick."

Hermione laughed and then replied as her mother slipped silently out of the kitchen, a knowing smile on her lips.

_Finis._

Author's Note: I suspect that Hermione's parents know very little of the dangers she has faced at Hogwarts and I've always wondered how Hermione's parents would react if they ever found out. I know this almost seems like two different stories, but I think they're somewhat connected. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the story.


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